Tens of thousands expected as Sunderland Food & Drink Festival returns

Sunderland Food and Drink Festival, which last year attracted 30,000 people, is set to return from June 6-8, 2025, with all the usual favourites – and a host of new additions on the menu.

The event will feature three days of international cuisine, live music, family friendly entertainment and some top local traders.

The festival will take place across three sites around the city - Keel Square, High Street West and Market Square - with the latter playing host to an Afro beats pop-up as well as events from Out North East which is delivering Pride In Sunderland throughout June.

For the first time organiser Sunderland BID is also introducing a range of green living elements to the event, which will run across the weekend.

A whole host of global food vendors have already signed up take part, covering everything from German sausages to American steak burgers to Greek specialities such as souvlaki – grilled meats on skewers – to spanakopita – feta and spinach pie.

Turkish favourites will also be available, as will Indian dishes along with a taste of the Caribbean and Mexico.

The festival has attracted a host of Asian-inspired offerings, with Thai street food, Korean and Japanese dishes and a noodle bar also part of the lineup.

There will also be a number of dessert stands and stalls selling items which can be taken home for later.

These include apple or rhubarb crumble, cake bites, churros, fudge, olives, nuts and baklava, fresh lemonade and delicious Portuguese tarts.

International craft stalls will also be on site, with gift items from South America and Spain as well as candles and vodka and rum.

There is still time for any other traders who would like to take part to sign up by contacting [email protected]

Roberta Redecke, Marketing and Events Manager at Sunderland BID, said the event is shaping up to be the best festival to date.

“The Food and Drink Festival is a much-loved date on the city calendar,” she said.

“We’ve got a fantastic programme and some of the best street food available – with more names to be announced.

“It is definitely a summer highlight and we are sure everyone is looking forward to its return.”